Chapter 381: Heaven's Street, Bones of Dukes and Nobles Trampled, Sweeping the Four Surnames and Fiv

Chapter 381: Heaven's Street, Bones of Dukes and Nobles Trampled, Sweeping the Four Surnames and Five Nobles (Part 2)

However, when Zhang Chuyue, Zhang Zhi, Lin Xuan, Ye Moxin, Ye Jiong, and the others saw this, they couldn't help but feel speechless.

Because the person in the painting was none other than Old Zhao Wang Zhang Teng, who had also been here just a moment ago.

Before Zhang Hui revealed his true intentions, he had been competing with the Suzhou Chu Clan, the Jingxiang Fang Clan, and the Qingzhou Ye Clan, supported by Zhang Qiongrong, Zhang Yang, and other royal family experts, to contend for the dragon throne.

And now, his opponents had become Zhang Qiongrong, Ye Jiong, Chu Yuyuan, and the others.

His method was to make Old Zhao Wang Zhang Teng reappear and fight against Zhang Qiongrong and the others.

Although it felt a bit awkward, with Zhang Teng and the Towning World Sword combined, they immediately extinguished a large area of flames within the Sheji Ding.

At this moment, the quiet and huge black ball below began to dissipate once again.

The figure of the modern-day Celestial Master, Lei Jun, reappeared in the mortal realm.

The Master of the Qingzhou Ye Clan, Ye Yan, had vanished without a trace.

He had followed in the footsteps of Zhang Teng, Fang Jingsheng, and Chu Xiuyuan, meeting his demise.

The four powerful cultivators of the Ninth Heaven Layer, who had previously clashed in the illusory imperial capital, had all perished.

Had they fallen at the hands of the same person? Although they had their suspicions, the onlookers couldn't help but gasp in shock.

At this moment, many people's hearts began to panic, and they struggled to maintain their composure.

Some lost their will and desired only to escape from this place.

However, the turbulent illusory imperial capital remained sealed off, trapping the four directions of space. The entire city began to descend.

However, upon seeing Lei Jun's reappearance, Zhang Hui breathed a sigh of relief and turned his attention to stabilizing the Society's foundation and the illusory imperial capital.

As long as the foundation remained intact, the illusory imperial capital would not drag down the real city of Luoyang beneath it.

Lei Jun needed no communication with Zhang Hui. A quick glance around was all he needed to grasp the situation.

He strode through the streets of the illusory imperial capital, casually eliminating any descendants of the Four Noble Families he encountered along the way.

The Master of the Youzhou Lin Clan, Lin Xuan, wielded the North Wind Sword, engaging in a battle of magic with Shangguan Yunbo, who possessed the Bandit-Subduing Golden Lance.

As Lei Jun passed by, a massive fire tiger condensed from the Nine Abyss Real Fire.

Like a towering mountain, the tiger pounced, its claws aiming to seize Lin Xuan.

Lin Xuan's North Wind Sword flashed, and with a single strike, the north wind howled fiercely, accompanied by a blizzard.

Lei Jun continued striding forward, unperturbed.

The gigantic fire tiger transformed, and with a tiger's roar that stirred the wind, it countered the wind with its own.

The boundless Nine Abyss wind and fire pierced through the blizzard of the Northern Border, injuring Lin Xuan.

Lei Jun did not linger but calmly continued down the street.

Whoever he encountered along the way was struck down with a casual blow, without concern for the outcome.

As he passed, a river of blood flowed in his wake.

Lin Xuan did not perish from Lei Jun's previous attack. After that single strike, Lei Jun continued on his way.

But Lin Xuan was left dazed for a moment.

She couldn't help but recall an event that had occurred two or three decades ago on her clan's ancestral land in Youzhou. It was an event that she would remember for the rest of her life.

In that battle, the Lin State's ancestral land was breached, and Lin Xuan was injured by Xu Yuanzhen of the Celestial Master's Mansion.

That injury directly severed Lin Xuan's path to future advancement.

Even though her wounds had long since healed, she still could not take that step forward.

And now, Lin Xuan had been struck by Lei Jun once more.

Although the methods were different, the results were similar to what had happened with Xu Yuanzhen back then.

Back then, Lin Xuan's weak points in her cultivation had been seen through by Xu Yuanzhen, who then injured her.

Over the years, she had diligently cultivated, trying to make up for the shortcomings in her practice.

By now, the issues from before were no longer a problem.

Yet, Lei Jun had discovered another flaw in her cultivation.

A different process, but an identical outcome.

Lin Xuan doubted her life choices at this moment.

Xu Yuanzhen had natural-level insight, able to see through the mysteries of her heart.

Could this Lei Jun before her eyes also possess such insight?!

As Lin Xuan stood there in a daze, Shangguan Yunbo showed no mercy. He seized the opportunity to launch a surprise attack, closing the distance between them. His Bandit-Subduing Golden Lance swept through the air, and Lin Xuan, who had already been injured by Lei Jun, was now severely wounded.

Shangguan Yunbo pressed his advantage, relentlessly pursuing Lin Xuan to finish her off.

Lin Liuyu and Lin Xuan, elders of the Youzhou Lin Clan, rushed to her aid, but they were quickly stopped by Lei Jun.

The purple-green Tai Chi diagram and the black-red Tai Chi diagram appeared, one in each of Lei Jun's hands, which he then pushed to either side of his body.

Beneath Lei Jun's feet, the verdant Nine Abyss Real Fire descended and swiftly swept across the land in all four directions.

With the relatively softer Real Fire neutralizing and regulating it, the illusory Imperial City temporarily stabilized.

Around Lei Jun's body, the Nine Abyss Real Fire did not further transform into the Yin Fire Tiger.

The scarlet golden Heavenly Real Fire also did not turn into the Yang Fire Tiger.

Similarly, the Nine Heavens Divine Thunder and the Xuan Xiao Immortal Thunder, with Lei Jun at their center, continuously spread out in all directions.

In the next moment, infinite thunder and fire surged, covering the entire illusory Imperial City.

Purple thunderbolts, black thunderous water, emerald flames, and scarlet golden meteors.

All these phenomena converged, presenting a doomsday scene to the numerous aristocratic families, famous clans, public officials, and imperial kinsmen. Countless people were engulfed within.

Lei Jun turned his head to look back.

Along the path he had taken, corpses were scattered everywhere, and white bones covered the land.

Lei Jun calmly retracted his gaze and continued forward.

With each step he took on the streets of the illusory Imperial City, the people around him felt suffocated.

After Lei Jun circled the Imperial City a few times, the city fell into silence.

"In addition to trampling on the bones of public officials on the Heavenly Street, it would be good to burn the Inner Treasury into ashes of brocade."

Lei Jun looked ahead, and Zhang Qiongrong, along with other Zhang Tang imperial family experts, remained in the palace at the center of the illusory city without leaving.

However, they were soon buried along with the palace by the intertwining heavenly and earthly fires, turning into charred ruins.

The illusory Imperial City itself no longer burned, but it had already been reduced to ruins, with broken walls and collapsed buildings everywhere.

The raging inferno blazed, its flames even overshadowing the white light, burning fiercely in the sky without end.

"Thunder Lord Lei." Prince Zhang Hui regained control of the National Destiny Tripod.

But as Lei Jun observed, he found the situation a bit odd.

Zhang Hui said, "I should also thank Lord Lei for the Qilin Saliva. Otherwise, many things would have to be rearranged."

Lei Jun replied, "It is I who should thank Your Highness for the Mi Luo Ten-Pattern Jade."

Earlier, when he had just arrived near Luoyang, Lei Jun did not rush to the city immediately.

The reason was that after witnessing the Four Divine Beasts' manifestations in the illusory Imperial City, particularly the Qilin, he felt, no matter how he looked at it, that someone had used his Qilin Saliva as one of the important pillars to construct the grand ritual earlier.

In constructing such a ritual, the Qilin manifestation among the Four Divine Beasts could certainly be participated in by using other heavenly treasures besides Qilin Saliva.

But with Lei Jun's comprehension and insight, it was not difficult to see that it was indeed the Qilin Saliva he had traded to Tai Yin Monday in the Heavenly Book Universe.

Therefore, to confirm his suspicion, he sent a message to Tai Yin Monday.

The other party's response served as corroborating evidence.

It was not that Monday's Qilin Saliva had ended up in the hands of Prince Zhang Hui, Ye Yan, Chu Xiuyuan, and Fang Jingsheng through trading or acquisition; instead, Zhang Hui had been Tai Yin Monday from the very beginning.

In the next moment, Zhang Hui said, "Next, I would like to trouble Lord Lei and the other Realmen, along with the Grand General and the others, to bear with a few more things."

As he spoke, he continued to write and draw on the National Destiny Tripod without stopping.

Later, when the surface of the National Destiny Tripod was covered with dense black lines, Zhang Hui sketched with his Danqing brush on the tripod.

The countless fine black lines suddenly came to life.

Then, the black text completely flew away from the National Destiny Tripod.

Although the National Destiny Tripod was still there and rich in spirituality, it had completely severed its connection with the National Destiny Dragon Vein.

Accompanying Zhang Hui's seemingly casual actions were consequences of a substantial impact.

The illusory Imperial City began to shake once again.

Fortunately, the illusory Imperial City did not truly fall onto the real Luoyang City below.

As the Imperial City descended, in the final moments before its fall, the vast illusory city, shimmering with white light, began to disintegrate on its own.

Lei Jun sensed the flow of spiritual energy and the direction of the earth veins around Luoyang.

Then he discovered that Luoyang was no longer gathering the National Destiny Dragon Qi.

Nor was it gathering in the old capital of Chang'an.

It was not gathering in any place within the territory of the Great Tang.

Through the secret tug-of-war and constant competitions among the Four Surnames and Five Families, Zhang Hui had also been constantly adjusting and adapting.

The final result was that the National Destiny Dragon Qi dispersed in all directions throughout the land, resonating with the surging spiritual energy of the heavens and the earth.

Noticing Lei Jun's gaze, Zhang Hui calmly replied, "This is Her Majesty's intention. Heaven and earth belong to heaven and earth, and the people belong to the people. I share the same idea."

"I have my guesses about many things, more or less." Lei Jun scanned his surroundings. "But to be frank, I did not expect this."

Zhang Hui smiled and said, "When I first heard Her Majesty mention this idea, I also had the same opinion as Lord Lei. But isn't this a good thing?"

The National Destiny Dragon Qi had completely dispersed.

Although Zhang Wantong, Zhang Hui, and the National Destiny Tripod were still there, the art of imperial rule was now a thing of the past, never to exist again.

Thus, although they had lost a quick way to cultivate top experts,

the resonance of the people's qi with the surging spiritual energy of the heavens and the earth would be beneficial to more cultivators, further promoting the flourishing of cultivation in the human realm, giving birth to more new talents, and producing more heavenly treasures.

And for this step, whether it was Zhang Wantong or Zhang Hui or other members of the Zhang Tang imperial family, none of them could be the one to reverse the situation and support the country.

Instead, Zhang Wantong herself had to damage her own reputation to some extent.

The Yunzhou Battle had gathered too much support and admiration for her.

But now, she needed to be an incompetent ruler.

At least, in the eyes of most people, she needed to be seen as an incompetent ruler.

She had to be seen as impulsive, unpredictable, and self-indulgent, to the extent that the Great Tang was plagued by internal and external troubles and almost lost its country because of her.

Even the Zhang Tang imperial family lost the support of the people to a certain extent.

Zhao Wang Zhang Teng and the others had countless scandals.

Prince Zhang Hui was associated with the aristocratic families and was ambitious but lacking in ability.

After the disappearance of the Empress, the two sides fought for power and position, disregarding the well-being of the people, and were cursed by the masses.

From the very beginning, the person the Empress had in mind to turn the tide was from the Heavenly Master's Mansion.

Not only because they had the ability, but also because, no matter whether it was Lei Jun, Xu Yuanzhen, or Tang Xiaotang, even if they were revered by the people, they would not be like Huang Xuanpu.

The tide of the times rolled on relentlessly.

There could be no leaders, but the more participants, the better.

Lei Jun could understand Zhang Wantong's thoughts.

But he indeed had not guessed that she had such intentions.

"The Crown Prince and Zhao Wang will both perish in this battle."

Zhang Hui said, "Later, when Her Majesty returns, she will not appoint another crown prince."

Lei Jun saw that he not only had no sense of reluctance, but he also seemed relieved.

...He even felt a bit like Tang Xiaotang back then, when she finally left Dragon and Tiger Mountain.

"Without the blessing of the National Destiny Dragon Qi, Her Majesty will still be the peak existence after her injury heals."

Zhang Hui smiled slightly and said, "To speak disrespectfully of my late father, when my late father had the blessing of the National Destiny Dragon Qi, he was still no match for Her Majesty at the same realm."

With the Heavenly Master's Mansion as the sacred grounds, Lei Jun embarked on the path of spiritual growth.

"Although the reputation of the Great Tang had suffered a significant blow, the various troubles within the empire had gradually subsided, not escalating into a massive upheaval, and the dynasty was spared from an immediate change of reign."

While the gates between the mortal world and the divine realm had been reopened, the Tang court was prepared to seal them once more.

The Divine Realm's Council was busy dealing with the offensive campaigns launched by the rival empire.

The nine tribes of the mortal world were also embroiled in civil strife.

Despite the heavy losses suffered during the Great Tang civil war, including the demise of numerous imperial family members and the near decimation of the noble houses, the Empress and the Heavenly Master's Mansion remained unshaken.

In the eyes of the Empress and Zhang Hui, there was also Chen Donglou of the Mystic Sect who could be won over.

Furthermore, there was the neutrally aligned Celestial Guardians, who could provide a safety net for the time being, allowing the Great Tang to recuperate and rebuild.

Even in the face of future internal and external crises, the Great Tang had the capability to restore peace.

Although Zhang Hui did not bring it up, Lei Jun recalled that Empress Zhang Wan still had a final insurance policy.

"If faced with an overwhelmingly formidable foe that cannot be dealt with at present, the Empress herself, or Lei Jun, Tang Xiaotang, and others, have the option to turn back the wheels of history, prioritizing the protection of the common people and the nation, and then re-strategizing afterward."

However, Lei Jun believed that Empress Zhang herself would not wish to take that last resort.

Lei Jun asked Zhang Hui, "How is Her Majesty doing now?"

Zhang Hui replied, "Her injury is not light. That powerful warrior, Xian Harige'er, is indeed a consummate Master of the Ninth Tier, and he also had the aid of a Ninth Tier Demon Lord."

Warriors possess overwhelming offensive power, and when facing formidable foes, they may still achieve a mutually destructive outcome.

Facing Lei Jun, Zhang Hui answered candidly, "Indeed, Her Majesty needs time to recuperate. However, it won't deteriorate to the extent of the chaos in the capital. Currently, she has returned to the mortal realm along with Mr. Xiao and Miss Xiao."

Lei Jun said, "Since that is the case, we shall proceed. I shall be on my way to Cangzhou next."

Zhang Hui expressed his gratitude, "We are indebted to the Heavenly Master."

Lei Jun departed from the imperial capital of Luoyang.

Zhang Hui continued to adjust the Cosmic Balance, guiding the flow of earth energy, awaiting the Empress's return to the imperial capital.

However, he would not reveal himself to the public again.

Zhang Ying and others remained to assist with the aftermath in Luoyang.

General Shangguan Yunbo, during the battle in Luoyang, had slain Lin Xuan, the matriarch of the Lin tribe, who had rebelled alongside the treasonous Zhao Wang.

He left Luoyang slightly after Lei Jun, also departing from the city.

Lei Jun was on his way to Cangzhou.

By intercepting the correspondence of the Ye clan of Cangzhou, he obtained the name of the place—NanYuan.

While en route to NanYuan in Cangzhou, Lei Jun contacted his master Yuan Mobai and other fellow disciples.

The gates of the divine realm had been reopened.

Junior Sister Tang Xiaotang had already heard about the developments in the mortal realm.

However, she lacked interest in the current affairs following the conclusion of the Luoyang battle.

Senior Brother Wang Guiyuan had already returned to the mortal realm.

Master Yuan Mobai and Xiao Hang had also returned from the Northern Sea's Luo Yuan gate.

The Empress Zhang Wan and Xiao XueTING had likewise returned.

"Is the Sect Master heading to Cangzhou?" Master Yuan Mobai inquired.

Lei Jun explained, "The Lin tribe of Youzhou should currently be with the Ye clan of Cangzhou, sparing us the trouble of dealing with them separately."

Master Yuan Mobai said, "Since we're already out, I shall accompany Fellow Xiao on a trip to Qingzhou."

In the imperial capital of Luoyang, Lei Jun left the bodies of high-ranking officials and noble houses strewn across the streets.

The four noble families had lost a significant portion of their elite members.

Influenced by the secret maneuvers of Zhang Hui, the ancestral lands of the Qingzhou Ye clan, the Suzhou Chu clan, and the Jingxiang Fang clan had been directly obliterated.

"Second brother, your body isn't in the best condition either. Take it easy." Xiao Xue Ting sighed.

…………………

Suzhou, the ancestral home of the Chu Clan

Once a thriving center of culture, it now lay in ruins.

With the severing of their lineage, the Chu Clan felt like weeping but had no tears left to shed.

Chu Zhe and the others hurriedly tried to re-establish contact with the imperial capital of Luoyang while simultaneously clearing the wreckage of their ancestral home.

Bad news kept pouring in.

The imperial capital of Luoyang was in chaos. But the lack of news from Chu Xiuyuan and the others there was the worst news of all.

And now, their old rivals, the monks of Tianlong Temple, were at their doorstep.

Ever since Chu Xiuyuan and the other experts had left Suzhou, those left behind, including Chu Zhe, had tended to their ancestral home with care, preparing ritual instruments and vessels in abundance for any eventuality.

But now, their situation only worsened.

Chu Zhe was a genius among the younger generation of the prestigious families.

But his opponent this time was...

Fa Qing, the current foremost expert of the Buddhist Sect, who had returned to Tianlong Temple for the first time in many years.

Having not taken a single step back to the temple for so long, he finally made a temporary return amidst the changing times.

And thus, he now led the delegation from Tianlong Temple.

Monk Fa Qing found the situation laughable, but the Chu Clan of Suzhou could not share in the humor.

In the past, Monk Fa Qing had already been renowned as the foremost disciple of Tianlong Temple.

"Without him, we might still be able to hold our ground against Tianlong Temple," Chu Zhe thought.

But with Monk Fa Qing at the helm, all the Chu Clan could feel was despair.

…………………

Lei Jun Arrives in Cangzhou

The latest news was that Xiao Chunhui had not perished and was still alive.

He had even found the time to open a path from the Heavenly Order to the mortal realm, paving the way for Xu Yuanzhen's return.

However, in name, the second young master of the Xiao family was now a "dead man" or an undocumented citizen.

"The Jingxiang Fang Clan is being dealt with by General Shangguan himself," Yuan Mobai said. "Master Xiao and I have already gone ashore and are currently on our way to Qingzhou."

"I have arrived in Cangzhou," Lei Jun said.

After ending the call with Yuan Mobai, Lei Jun looked up at the distant horizon.

The preparations made by the Cangzhou Ye Clan were extensive and clearly not done in haste.

The ritual instruments and vessels of the Cangzhou Ye Clan collectively formed a rather peculiar but immensely vast sacrificial ritual.

In addition to Ye Wei, Ye Qingquan, Ye Zheng, and the others from the Cangzhou Ye Clan, there was also Lin Yi, the elder of the Youzhou Lin Clan, who had brought a group with him.

Compared to the Qingzhou, Suzhou, and Jingxiang clans, who were still unaware of the true situation and held on to a sliver of hope, the Cangzhou Ye Clan and the Youzhou Lin Clan had sensed an even more dangerous aura.

"The World Beyond the Rare... "

Lei Jun surveyed the scene, "To set up such a sacrificial ritual must not have been easy, and it would have required a significant price."

After observing for a moment, Lei Jun stepped into the Nanyu Plain.

Without further ado, Lei Jun's grandiose Grand Dao Domain expanded endlessly, enveloping half of the plain within it.

The Grand Dao Domain isolated the inside from the outside.

Within it, Lei Jun wielded his power without restraint.

With his current prowess, the Yuan Magnet Flying Sword could easily take the lives of Seventh or Eighth Heaven cultivators as long as it found its mark. He could afford to slow down the flow of the Yuan Magnet power, reducing the demand on his treasure's endurance.

This widened his selection of available treasures.

However, he ended up being a jack-of-all-trades and master of none.

But it was more than sufficient for the current task.

And so, countless Yuan Magnet Flying Swords howled as they streaked across the sky, with the power of the stars, thunder, and lightning converging in a cataclysmic clash.

The experts of the two clans, captured by Lei Jun and pulled into the Xuanhuang Universe, were now running for their lives.

Lei Jun strolled forward unhurriedly.

Behind him, the tragic scenes of Ye Mocheng, Lin Yi, Ye Qingquan, and the others served as a backdrop, resembling the end of days.

But in front of him, there sat an elderly figure, unmoving.

The former elder of the Cangzhou Ye Clan, Ye Moken.

"The World Beyond the Rare" was a legendary divine ability, capable of opening an independent realm and sustaining it for an extended period.

However, this technique was not only immensely challenging but also potentially life-threatening.

And Ye Moken was, at this very moment, offering himself, sacrificing his future for the sake of his descendants and clan members.

On one hand, the situation had forced his hand. On the other hand, it was because... he had run out of time.

Plagued by the old wounds left by Xu Yuanzhen, Ye Moken had suffered immensely over the years, even causing the death of his clan's rightful heir.

Such a mistake would not happen again, even if it meant shortening his already elderly life further.

Despite the clarity of his thoughts during this period, reminiscent of his youth and middle age, many problems remained unresolved, and the battle in Luoyang had already concluded.

And so, he and his Cangzhou Ye Clan had no choice but to attempt to leave this mortal realm behind.

The price was his life, the remainder of his already limited lifespan.

In this final act, Ye Moken had intended to secure a future for the younger generation of his clan.

But how had Lei Jun found them so quickly?

Lei Jun walked up to Ye Moken.

Immediately, two setups on the opposite side sprang into action.

Floating Life Tribulation.

God-subduing Head.

Even the elderly Ye Moken, on the verge of death, had made ample preparations.

But Lei Jun paid no heed, and with a flash of Yin-Yang Divine Light, he shattered the Floating Life Tribulation.

Ye Moken gazed at the fleeting seven-colored rainbow light between Lei Jun's eyebrows, transfixed.

"In the South Wilderness of the Earthly Sea, the person who killed Lei Yong of the Broken Clan and framed it on my Cangzhou was you," Ye Moken blurted out. "How did you find us so quickly?"

As he spoke, a grand seal rose, its radiance like a sparkling starry sky.

But today, the Heaven Master Seal suppressed the Stars Contending Seal.

The purple, golden, and cyan lights interwove to form a law altar that descended from the heavens, pressing down on the Cangzhou Ye Clan's treasured Stars Contending Seal.

"The God-subduing Head is ineffective... Natural Law, are you like Xu Yuanzhen, with a natural understanding of the Dao?"

Ye Moken asked, "Two naturals in thirty years?"

"I'm different from Senior Sister Xu. I believe in getting things done."

Lei Jun slapped Ye Moken aside with a palm, shattering the possibility of the World Beyond the Rare taking form:

"All the preparations up till now were for directly resolving the issue."

There was no pause in his actions as his palm struck Ye Moken's heavenly cover, right between his eyebrows:

"Just like this."

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end